Shift mechanism for type-writers.



T. L. KNAPP. 'SHIFT MBCHANISM POR TYPE WRITERS. APPLICATION FILEDMAR.14, 1908.

906,497. Pand De... 8, 1908. l 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

T. L. KNAPP.

SHIFT MEGHANISM POR TYPE WRITERS..

APPLICATIOF FILED MAR. 14, 1908.

906,49*? Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T. L. KNAPP.

SHIFT MEGHANISM FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION HLBD 15.13.14, 190B.

906,497. Patented Dec. 8. i908v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITEB STATES PATENT anion.

THERON L. KNAPP, OFWOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OLIVERTYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHIFT MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

-Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed December 13, 1907, Serial No. L106,338.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Divided and this application led March 14,

1908. Serial No. 421,241.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, THERON L. KNAPP, a citizen of the United States, ofthe city of Woodstock, in the county of Cook and State vof Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shift Mechanism forType-Writers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This application is a division'of my prior application, Serial Number406,338, filed December 13th, 1907.

This invention relates to platen .shift devices for typewritingmachines, and 'it embraces improvements in such platen shift devices of.the kind more especially applicable to machine known as Olivertypewriters, such as is shown and described in the prior patent grantedto Thomas Oliver, No. 599,863, dated March 1st, 1898. `Some of thefeatures herein described and claimed are, however, applicable tomachines which dider in construction from said Oliver typewritingmachines. l

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and pointedout in the appended claims.

My invention may be more readily understood I by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure l isa View partially in side elevation and partially in sectionof a typewrit ing machine equipped with platen shift devices embodyingmy invention. Fig. 2 is a View of the forward part of the machine asseen frombeneath. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical se'ction taken upon line3-30f Fig. 2. Fig. 4' is a ,transverse vertical section of the machinetaken upon line 4 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail, vertical ,sectiontaken from front to rear through the central art of the machine on line5-5 Aof Fig. 2. ig. 6 is a detail cross-section taken upon line (if-6 ofFig. 5. Figui is a perspective View of one of the frame brackets forminga part of the invention.

portion 6 and with rear, elevated, horizontal portion 7 made integralwith a depending marginal base fiange 8 extending entirely around thebase plate.

9 indicates one of the type-bars of the machine, of the form employed insaid Oliver typewriting machine. Said type bars are arranged in twogroups located one at each side of the center line of the machine. Thetype-bars of each group are mounted on a supporting frame, one ofwhichis indicated by 10 in Fig. 1. The supporting frames for the two groupsare attached to the upper ends of two frame standards 11, 11 which areattached to and rise from the elevated rear part ofthe base-plate 5 asseen in Figs. l and 4. Said type-bars are each provided with threetypes. 12 indicates a platen mounted on the paper-carriage having endvplates 13 and longitudinal frame pieces, one of which is indicated by 14in Fig. 5.

15 indicates the shift-frame which is mounted on the base plate and onwhich the paper carriage has endwise movement.' Said 1 sides of themachine, with arms 16, 17, to-

which are pivoted the lower ends of upright suspension links or hangers18, 19 pivotall'y connected at their upper ends with the standard llasshown in Patent No. 837,611 granted to H. Cross, December 4th, 1906. Therear end of said shift-frame is provided with a centrally arrangedguide-rod or stem 20 which moves endwise through a standard 21 on thebase/.plate of the machine, which standard is provided with a supportingroller 22 4on which said stem rests. The forward and rearward movementof the shift-frame is limited by means of stop-nuts 23, 23 im the stem20 arranged at oppositesides of' and adapted for contact with a secondstandard 24 on the base-plate. Y

25, 26 indicate shift-levers for actuating the shift-frame located atthe let-hand side of the machine. Said shift-levers are'piv oted attheir rear endsto a bracket 27 attached to the under surface of theelevated rear part of the base-plate, and lifting frame. movement of theleft-hand end'of the shiftfrarne and hold the same immovable in'its.-

.oblique cam-slots formed by arms 38, 38 and 39, 39 which are attachedto and depend from the shift-levers. The forward ends of theshift-levers are provided with upwardly extending stop-arms 40 and 41adapted for contact with the lower surface of the baseplate to limit theupperv movement of lthe shift-levers. A cushioning piece42 is secured tothe baselate in position to receive impact of the shi -levers whenthrown upward by their lifting springs. Said shiftlevers are providedwith forwardly and'rearwardly facing stops 43, 44 ladapted to engage arigid, downwardly extending stoparm 45 on the left-hand end of theshift- Said stops serve to arrest the return central position.l Theshift frame is provided with a depending guide-block 47 which extendsdownwardly through 'a centrally arranged, longitudinal slot. or opening1n the elevated rear part of the base-plate and is provided with guiderollers,o1 1e of which is ,indicated by 48 (Fig. 6), arranged to bearlaterally against a forwardly and rearwag'dly extending guide-surface onthe left hand side of the guide-block 47, under the lateral pressureexerted on the shift-frame by the action of the carriage actuating.A

spring. A block 49 is secured byscrews'to the under surface of theelevated part of the Vbase-plate and is provided with a longi tudinalgroove .(Fig. 6) the side 'walls of which form the guide surfacereferred to and also a guide for the right hand side oisaid guide block.Said shift-frame is. also ,provided with a de ending arm 50 whichextends downward y through the slot or opening referred to and to whichis pivoted the rear end of the connecting link 31 by vwhich the shiftframe is actuated from the rockshaft 30.

One feature/of my invention relates to devices for locking o'r holdingthe right hand side of the shift frame in its central position. The'parts constituting Athe same are constructed as follows: 55, 56 indicatea pair of ,stop-levers smila to the shift-levers 25-26 which are arrangehorizontally below the rear elevated part.7 of ,the base-plate at theright hand side of the same. Said stop- -levers extend -longitudinally.from front to rear of the machine and are pivoted at theirrear ends to a depending bracket 57 on the rear elevated par-t 7 of thebase-plate in a mannerv allowing .theirl forward ends to Swinginafvertical plane.'` Said levers 55, 56 engage atv their forward endsvertical guide-slots formed'in a guide-plate'58 which is attached to anddepends from the baseplate. Lifting 'springs' 59,` 60, shown as made ofwire and 'of U-form are-applied to lift the forward ends of -saidstop-levers.

The forward ends of lsaid leversl are provided with upwardlydirectedarms 6l (Fig.

3) adapted for. contact, when the levers are elevated, with the undersurface of the baseplate which forms a stop fory limiting their upwardmovement. of leather orthe like is .shown as attached Ato the.base-plate in osition to receive impact of said' levers w en thrownupwardly by their lifting springs. Said stop levers 55, 56 areprovided'with forwardly and rearwardly facing stops 63, 64 (Fig. 4)similarJ in all respects to the stops 43, 44, on the levers 25, 26, andwhich areJ adaptedto engage a rigid Adepending stop-arm 65 on, the righthand end of the shift-frame. Said stops 63, 64 serve to arrest-thereturn movement of the right-handl end of the shift-frame and holdthe same immovable inits central po'- sition.

A cushioning piece 62` 66, 67 indicate parallel, horizontal rockshaftsextending across Athe machine and p rovided at theirv left-handlendsbeneath the',

shift-levers with two horizontally extending crank-arms .68, 69connectedwith the shiftlevers by uprightr links 70, 71.v At the rightl'hand side of the machinesaid rock-shafts 66, 67 are provided withrigidly attached crank-'arms 72, 7 3 whichare connected with v the twostop-levers 55 and 56 by 4means'of,

links 74 and 75.

The parts are stx-:arranged that when one of the shift-levers 25 or 26is depressed', it

will carry with it the stop 43 or 44 attached thereto, thus releasingthe left-handl end of the shift-frame, and lat the same time, l

remains in position vto arrest the movementl That one of each pair of-stops ofthe shift-frame when it returns to its ccn- 'i tral osition.The,construction set forth, there ore, provides means for simultaneouslylocking and releasing-both ends of the-shaft frame,by the Vactuation lofeither one of a pair of shift keys located at one sidelof` thel machine.

. Another feature of my invention relates to ,the means ina typewritingmachine of the general character illustrated, for pivotally goeswsupporting the rock shafts 66, 67 'of the shift frame locking device.The means illustrated for this purpose consists ina pair of like bracketmembers 76, 76 which are arranged at opposite sides of the base-plateand are attached to and extend rearwardly from the rear margin of thelower horizontal, forward part 6 of said base-plate. Each of saidbracket members (Fig. 7) comprises a bracket portion 77 whichextends ina direction from front to rear of the machine and rearwardly from thepart 6 of the baseplate, and a horizontally disposed base portion 78arranged at -right angles to the bracket portion 77 and which extendstransversely of the machine. Said base .portion is arranged to overlapthe rear margin of said lower forward part 6 of the base-plate, to whichit is secured by screws or bolts. The bracket portion 77 of each bracketmember is provided with two transverse, horizontal bearing apertures,through which extend the ends of the shafts 66 and 67 and in which thelatter have bearing.

The bracket members, arranged as described, aord a simple andpracticable means for supporting the rock-shafts 66` and 67 inconnection with a base-frame or plate made as illustrated andhereinbefore described.

I claim as my invention 1. I n a typewriting machine, the combinationwith the machine frame, a papercarriage and a shift-frame on which thepapercarriage is mounted, of vertically swinging shift-levers at oneside of the machine frame having operative connection with theshift-frame and provided with stops for engagement with the adjacent enddfthe shift-frame, a locking device for the opposite side of theshift-frame comprising two horizontally arranged, vertically swinginglocking levers provided with stops adapted for engagement with theadjacent side of the shift-frame and two rock-shafts extendingtransversely of the machine frame and having 4operative connection withsaid shift-levers and with the locking levers.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination? with the machine frame, apapervcarriage and a shift-frame on which the lengagement with theadjacent side of the shift-frame, a-locking device for the opposite sideof the shift-frame comprising two horizontal, vertically swinginglocking levers provided with. stops adapted for engagement with theadjacent side of the shifti'rame, two rock-shafts extending transverselyof the machine frame and provided with horizontally extending, rigidly.attached crank-arms, and links severally connecting said crank-armswith the said shift-levers and locking levers.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a baseplate having alower, horizontal, forwardA portion and a higher, horizontal, rearlpart, of a shift-frame mounted on the base-plate, .shiftlevers at oneside of the machine having operative connections with the-shii'trfrarne, locking levers mounted at the other ide of the machineframe, transversely 'extending rockshafts for communicating motion fromthe shift-levers to the locking levers and two brackets secured to landextending rearwardly from the rear margin of the said Y THERoN L. KNAPP.Witnesses: i i

BART C. YoUivG, WM. H. OBRIEN.

lower, horizontal, forward part of the base-

